Summer 2015 Update

The Peterson Lab has been pretty busy this summer season, here is an update on all of the different projects that we have been working on!

Diana Chin continues to run experiments looking at a potential mutualism between eelgrass and Solemya velum (a clam with symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in its gills). She would be really happy if she could figure out who their predators are in the field and if she could get them to spawn successfully in the lab. She has also been running the Long Island branch of the ZEN (Zostera Experimental Network) collaboration, which this summer included a large caging experiment, blue carbon sediment cores, and mesopredator surveys.

 

This picture was taken by Diana Chin from a GoPro camera used during the mesopredator surveys.

 

Rebecca Kulp has spent her summer hard at work understanding relationships between habitat complexity and predator-prey interactions using mud crabs and mussels. She focused on predator foraging efficiency by changing both the habitat structure density and level of competition.

Rebecca after a long and rainy field day with Mike and Tracey, some of her summer helpers.
Rebecca (left) after a long and rainy field day with Mike and Tracey, some of her summer helpers.

 

 

Stephen Heck has been researching the effects of the presence of porgy on the consumptive rates of mud crabs on bay scallops as well as how the presence of the two predators influence the vertical distribution of bay scallops in the eelgrass canopy.

Stephen’s mesocosm set-up, and his team of helpers

 

 

Amanda Tinoco has been working on some of the NPS projects in Great South Bay, helping runt he water quality and nekton monitoring programs. She also has been setting up a mesocosom experiment to study the effect of acoustic signals on predator consumptions, particularly examining how the sound of a predator (blue crab) eating it’s prey (mud crab) can affect the foraging behavior of mud crabs in different habitats.

Amanda during one of the nekton surveys in Great South Bay
Amanda during one of the nekton surveys in Great South Bay

 

Amber Stubler has been leading nekton survey dives on artificial off-shore reefs and keeping the lab healthy.

Brad Peterson has been working with all the students and making sure the Peterson lab is producing awesome research. He even prepared for his Hollywood career debut when the NPS came out to Great South Bay to check out what the lab does and interview the Peterson himself.

Brad explains the lab's work and the importance of it during an NPS interview
Brad explains the lab’s work in Great Sotuh Bay and the importance of this work during an NPS interview

Jamie Brisbin looking for Nepal downed helicopter

Professor Bradley Peterson’s past graduate students, Jamie Brisbin, is now an Air Force Pararescue looking for the downed helicopter in Nepal.

Best of luck to Jamie!

Jamie Brisbin

 

 

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1929963/search-and-rescue-find-missing-aircraft-nepal#.VVTBa_lVhBc

Benthic Ecology Meeting 2015

The Peterson Lab had a strong showing at the 2015 Benthic Ecology Meeting in Quebec City, Canada! Brad Peterson, six current graduate students, one undergraduate student, and two Peterson Lab alumni were in attendance at the conference.

 

Peterson Benthics  Group
                      The Peterson Group at BEM

 

Amber Stubler, Rebecca Kulp, Elizabeth Gomez, and Stephen Heck had oral presentations showing the variety of work being currently done by students at the Peterson Lab. Brad Peterson presented some last summer’s seagrass work he did with last summer with two of his students Lisa Jackson and Brad Furman. Diana Chin, Amanda Tinoco, and Niko Floros presented posters with their work at the Peterson Lab. And John Carroll (2012 PhD alumni!) presented his work done in Jamaica during the annual winter class.

The Peterson Lab also had a strong showing in the dance floor, as usual, joining in with other groups including the Heck Lab from Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Other fun activities included ice skating, dog sledding, and enjoying the local cuisine.

The following work as presented at Benthics:

Posters

Chin, D.W.; Peterson, B.J.Investigating a potential mutualism between Solemya velum and Zostera marina mediated by symbiotic sulfide-oxidizing bacteria

Furman, B.T.; Tinoco, A.I.; and Peterson, B.J. SAV, topography and flow characteristics in the Upper, Tidal Hudson River: Progress toward a predictive habitat model

Floros, N.J.; Kulp, R.E.; and Peterson, B.J.Investigating how habitat density can alter intraspecific competition in mesopredators.

Oral Talks

Peterson, B.J.; Jackson, L.J.; and Furman, B.T. The plant-animal interactions our mamma warned you about: suspension-feeding bivalves effecting Zostera marina reproductive growth spurs.

Stubler, A.; Furman, B.; and Peterson, B. Sponge erosion under acidification and warming scenarios: differential impacts on living and dead coral.

Gomez, E.; Peterson, B.; Borrett, S.; and La Peyre, M. A dynamic ecological model using oyster reef bioenergetics to measure and predict secondary production.

Kulp, R.E.; Petraitils, P.S.; and Peterson, B.J. Comparing functional responses of a mesopredator across a habitat density gradient.

Heck, S.M.; Boyce, P.B.; Coughlan, K.A.; Schenck, F.R.; Hughes, A.R.;  and Grabowski, J. Effects of habitat complexity on bay scallop population dynamics in Nantucket Harbor.

Carroll, J.M.; Stubler, A.D.; Peterson, B.J.; and Finelli, C.M. Is the grass always greener on the other side? A tale of two herbivory studies from Discovery Bay, Jamaica.

Lisa, Amber, and Amanda dogsledding

 

A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference

On the week of December 8-12, 2014, our lab member Elizabeth Gomez attended the 2014 A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference in Washington D.C. after being selected as a student fellow.

Liz presented her work on oyster reef bioenergetics models linked to an ecosystem services framework during an oral talk. The conference was a success and an excellent opportunity for feedback from different disciplines.

IMG_6553
Liz presenting her awesome project

Liz won a Student Fellowship to attend the conference and was awarded a recognition certificate.

  ACES 2014 Annual Conference  ACES 2014 Annual Conference

Peterson Lab…extending its domain world wide.

New website!

Welcome to the new Peterson Lab Website.

Here you will find everything about the research at the Marine Community Ecology Lab and any news of our members.

We invite you to check out the site, read about all the awesome research we are doing, and get the latest news about our lab.

November 3rd marked the beginning of Scallop Season in Long Island and the Peterson Lab braved the frigid waters for a tasty dinner cooked by Amber Stubler!

Peterson Lab members shuck scallops on the first day of scallop season
Peterson Lab members shuck scallops on the first day of scallop season